1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stencil printing system, stencil printing method, and computer-readable recording medium storing stencil printing program for receiving print information from a computer system through a controller, and executing stencil making of print information and printing process on a stencil printing machine, and more particularly to an art of realizing efficient stencil making and printing process.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, when issuing the print information stored in a computer system such as PC (personal computer) in a stencil printing machine, as shown in FIG. 1, a controller 71 for controlling transmission of print information from a computer system 70 to a stencil printing machine 72 is installed between the computer system 70 and stencil printing machine 72, and a stencil printing system is built up. When issuing the print information from the computer system 70 to the stencil printing machine 72, the following processing steps as shown in FIG. 2 are executed.
(1) Print information is issued from the computer system 70 into the controller 71 (print information output step S801).
(2) The controller 71 judges if the stencil printing machine 72 is online or offline (online/offline judging step S802). As a result of judgement, if the stencil printing machine 72 is online, the process goes to stencil making command output step (S803), or if the stencil printing machine 72 is offline, the process goes to offline changeover step (S804). Herein, xe2x80x9cofflinexe2x80x9d is a state (mode) of executing stencil making and printing process by using the print information possessed by the stencil printing machine itself, and xe2x80x9conlinexe2x80x9d means the state of executing stencil making and printing process by the stencil printing machine by using the print information from the computer, and when the stencil printing machine is online, generally, process designated from the operation system of the stencil printing machine is not accepted at all. The reason why the two states of online and offline are provided in the stencil printing machine is that the stencil printing machine, unlike an ordinary printer, has a stencil making function, and is designed to execute printing process either independently or from the computer system, and by the provision of such two states, during execution of stencil making and printing process by the stencil printing machine by using the print information from the computer system, it is designed to prevent troubles of execution of other stencil making or printing process by mistake from the operation system on the stencil printing machine.
(3) When the stencil printing machine 72 is online, the controller 71 transmits a stencil making process command of print information to the stencil printing machine 72, and the stencil printing machine 72 receives the stencil making process command, and executes stencil making process for preparing the stencil of the print information (stencil making command output step S803), and after finishing the stencil making process, the process goes to the print process execution step (S805).
(4) When the stencil printing machine 72 is offline, the controller 71 waits until the stencil printing machine 72 becomes online (online waiting step S804) , and when the stencil printing machine 72 is changed over to the online state, the process goes to the stencil making command output step (S803).
(5) The stencil printing machine 72 executes the printing process by using the stencil fabricated in the stencil making process (printing process execution step S805).
(6) The controller 71 judges if there is other print information from the computer system 70, and if there is other print information, the process goes again to the print information output step (S801). On the other hand, if there is no other print information, the stencil printing process is terminated (judging step S806).
Thus, in the conventional stencil printing system, the online and offline states are provided in the stencil printing machine, and the controller judges whether the stencil printing machine is online or offline, and transmits the print information stored in the computer system to the stencil printing machine, but the conventional stencil printing system involves the following technical problems to be solved.
Firstly, in the existing stencil printing system, if paper jamming or other error occurs in the stencil printing machine while the printing process of the print information from the computer system is being executed on the stencil printing machine, the stencil printing machine becomes offline and is hence stopped. Accordingly, to continue the printing process on the stencil printing machine, the user has to restore the stencil printing machine to the online state by using online/offline changeover means such as I/F key provided on the stencil printing machine, and the efficiency of printing process is poor. Further, in the offline state, since other printing process can be started by the stencil printing machine alone, if other printing process has been started in the stencil printing machine, the print information from the computer system is interrupted in unprocessed state, and it is difficult to realize printing process of high efficiency.
Secondly, in the case of the conventional stencil printing system, since the stencil printing machine has the function of processing both stencil making and printing, the controller issues stencil making process command and printing process command alternately, but in such a system, for example, if a request for printing extra 5 sheets is made after the computer system starts printing process for printing 5 sheets of print information A, if the stencil printing machine is in online state after finishing the printing process, stencil making process by other print information is executed. In the conventional stencil printing system, therefore, if desired to extraportion of print information, it is required to change over the printing method while considering the state of the controller, such as execution of printing process by the stencil printing machine independently without changing over online or offline state, and the operation is completely complicated.
Thus, in the conventional stencil printing system, the stencil printing machine has two operation states of online and offline, and the controller judges whether the stencil printing machine is online or offline, and the print information stored in the computer system is issued to the stencil printing machine, and therefore the operation of printing process is very much complicated, and the efficiency of printing process is very poor.
The invention is devised in the light of the above technical problems, and the object of the invention is to improve the operation of printing process, and present a stencil printing machine enhanced in the efficiency of printing process.
And the other object of the invention is to improve the operation of printing process, and present a stencil printing method enhanced in the efficiency of printing process.
And also, the further object of the invention is to improve the user""s operation of printing process, and present a computer-readable recording medium storing a stencil printing process for enhancing the efficiency of printing process.
To solve these technical problems, the inventor discovered that the user""s operation of printing process is enhanced and that the efficiency of printing process is heightened, by using the controller which informs the stencil printing machine of the operation waiting state, and the stencil printing machine which refers to the operation state off the operation system of its own and the informed operation waiting state of the controller, judges automatically the process to be executed, and informs the controller of the content of processing, and continued to accumulate intensive researches, and finally reached the technical concept having the following features.
A first feature of the invention based on such concept is a stencil printing system for receiving print information from a computer system through a controller, and executing stencil making and printing process of print information on a stencil printing machine, in which the stencil printing machine comprises an operation waiting state detector for detecting the operation waiting state of the controller, a printing machine operation state detector for detecting the operation state of the stencil printing machine, and a judging unit for determining the process to be executed on the stencil printing machine by referring to the operation waiting state of the controller and the operation state of the printing machine, and controlling the controller and the stencil printing machine.
Hence, the user""s operation of printing process is enhanced, and the efficiency of printing process is heightened.
A second feature of the invention based on such concept is a stencil printing method for receiving print information from a computer system through a controller, and executing stencil making and printing process of print information on a stencil printing machine, which comprises a operation waiting state detecting step of detecting the operation waiting state of the controller, a printing machine operation state detecting step of detecting the operation state of the stencil printing machine, and a judging step of determining the process to be executed on the stencil printing machine by referring to the operation waiting state of the controller and the operation state of the printing machine, and controlling the controller and the stencil printing machine.
Hence, the user""s operation of printing process is enhanced, and the efficiency of printing process is heightened.
A third feature of the invention based on such concept is a computer-readable recording medium storing a stencil printing program for receiving print information from a computer system through a controller, and executing stencil making and printing process of print information on a stencil printing machine, which comprises a operation waiting state detecting process of detecting the operation waiting state of the controller, a printing machine operation state detecting process of detecting the operation state of the stencil printing machine, and a judging process of determining the process to be executed on the stencil printing machine by referring to the operation waiting state of the controller and the operation state of the printing machine, and controlling the controller and the stencil printing machine, thereby causing the computer to execute these processes.
Hence, the user""s operation of printing process is enhanced, and the efficiency of printing process is heightened.
Herein, the recording medium includes, for example, semiconductor memory, magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, magnetic tape and other computer-readable medium in which programs can be recorded.
The operation waiting state of the controller includes the no-output state, stencil making process waiting state, and printing process waiting state, and the operation state of the printing machine includes the stencil making process state and the printing process state, and by referring to these states, the process to be executed on the stencil printing machine is determined.
Other and further objects and features of the present invention will become obvious upon understanding of the illustrative embodiments about to be described in connection with the accompanying drawings or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employing of the invention in practice.